Sara Paretsky
During the last meeting, when discussing various books for the future, I mentioned that Sara Paretsky has been a long time favorite of mine when it comes to PI novels, and her protagonist, V. I. Warshawski, is a very likable strong female hero. So I was happy to just get a notice that Bouchercon2023 (which I am planning to attend at the end of August), has selected Paretsky to be this year’s winner of the David Thompson Special Service Award!
The David Thompson Special Service Award is given by the Bouchercon Board to honor the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community of David Thompson, a beloved Houston bookseller who passed away in 2010. Recipients are recognized for their extraordinary efforts to develop and promote the crime fiction field.
Paretsky’s contributions have indeed been extraordinary. Besides her own writing, she was a founder of Sisters In Crime; a leader in helping to lay the publishing groundwork for women authors of mystery and crime fiction, and is an ongoing literacy activist.
Upon learning of her win, Paretsky said, “This honor comes as a complete surprise, but one which moves me deeply.”
Read more about this extraordinary person, Sara Paretsky, here.
FYI: Previously she has been similarly honored by other organizations:
- The Hammer Award from Private Eye Writers of America for V.I. Warshawski, 2011
- Grand Master Award from Mystery Writers of America, 2011
- Diamond Dagger Award, 2002
- The Eye Lifetime Achievement Award from Private Eye Writers of America, 2005
“Nordic Noir” Also Came Up at the Last Meeting
Father Brown – Still?
Maybe there are a few that want more of the Father Brown mystery stories on TV. Hard to believe, but Season 10 of Father Brown will air on BritBox in the U.S. beginning June 13th, with 2 new episodes each week. There are a total of ten episodes of roughly 50 minutes each. The season has already begun in the U.K.
Older seasons are FREE on Hoopla with your library card!
Wow! I’m not a fan, but it is pretty amazing that he has such staying power since 1910. From Wkipedia:
Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He features in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and keen understanding of human nature. Chesterton loosely based him on the Rt Rev. Msgr John O’Connor (1870–1952), a parish priest in Bradford, who was involved in Chesterton’s conversion to Catholicism in 1922. Since 2013, the character is portrayed by Mark Williams in the ongoing BBC Television Series Father Brown.
Who is Peter Robinson? Why is Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Louise Penny teaming up to Give Him Tribute?
Peter Robinson is the well regarded, heavily awarded, Canadian crime fiction writer who created the Detective Chief Inspector Banks character.
On October 4, 2022, Robinson passed away after a brief illness. Beginning with Gallows View in 1987, Robinson delivered a novel in the series, or short story collection, almost every year until his death. He also managed to find the time to write three stand-alones. All told, he completed 34 books, 31 of them either Inspector Banks novels or related short story collections.
- Thursday 8 June 2023 | 6pm (UK time) | 1pm Eastern Time (USA)
- Online Event: watch from the comfort of your own home
- This is a free online event and you are not required to book a ticket.
- On Thursday 8th June 2023 – 6pm, to view the event, go to this website: https://crimereads.com/peter-robinson-remembered/
- It will be recorded and available to view at the same web site for some period of days following June 8th – https://crimereads.com/peter-robinson-remembered
- It is a Tribute, but also promotes Robinson’s final book, published posthumously: Standing in the Shadows.
Given the caliber of the authors gathered, I look forward to this online event on June 8 – After treatment at the dermatologist!
I confess I have not read any of Robinson’s books, but one of his books will be on the Nominations List for our 2023-2024 reading list. [Thanks to a recommendation by Ed.]
I have however watched all of the TV/streaming episodes of DCI Banks (based on the books), and loved them. My kind of detective! There are 32 episodes within 5 “seasons.” Highly recommend them! [FREE on Hoopla with your library card! OR on Brit Box via 7 days free then 7.99/month. ]
I always enjoyed reading Sara Paretsky years ago ~ haven’t read her recently ~ maybe she would be a good choice for the Manchester Book Club for next year’s reading ~
Father Brown series on TV was okay and DCI Banks I haven’t watched but a brief episode ~ didn’t really ‘grab me’ ~
Great info in this post for Mystery fans ~ thanks,
I am going to look for a good Paretsky novel to add to the nominations. Thanks for your kind feedback, Carol.